Sunday, 27 September 2015

After having my second child, I wanted to invest in a good crossbody bag. Not only because I wanted to be hands free when I am out with the kids, but also because I didn't want to have to worry about placing it down somewhere and losing it. When I travel or go shopping, this is my go to bag these days because it's so comfortable and easy to carry around.

What I also love about this bag is that it can be hung over one shoulder as well. If I decide to not wear it across my body I can achieve this look. This Tory Burch bag I got in light grey so it would be neutral and go with most of my outfits.

Thursday, 24 September 2015

At the end of August, my husband and I flew to NYC for the weekend to celebrate our 7 year wedding anniversary. I absolutely love NYC! It's one of my favourite places to travel to. So much to see and do, plus the shopping and restaurants are AMAZING!

I normally go there once a year on a bus to shop with a girlfriend. The last time my husband and I were in NYC was in 2006 for New Years, so it felt so good to be back together . Plus, it was nice to fly again rather than taking the bus, lol

On our actual anniversary (August 23) we headed to The Loeb Boathouse for brunch. This restaurant is gorgeous!! It's been in movies and so many celebrities have ate here. It kind of makes me upset that I have been to NYC so many times, and never once came here. It's seriously my new favourite restaurant. Hands down.

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The restaurant is located in Central Park. We got our cab driver to drop us off at 5th Ave and E 72nd St. Then we took a nice little walk into Central Park to get to the restaurant.

Inside the restaurant was beautiful. As soon as you walked in your eyes were drawn right to the view of the lake.

This was our view from our table- so pretty!

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As soon as we ordered our drinks we were served with warm banana bread.

Then we ordered the basket of Boathouse Breakfast Breads. House made bread, croissants, biscuits and muffins. ($12) It was so fresh. It also came with these dipping sauces that were sooo good!

Our server recommended the Challah French Toast Gran Marnier Banana Compote ($18) so both my husband and I ordered that. It was honestly the best French toast I have ever had!!

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Also inside the restaurant they have a bar/lounge section, and a take out area. ﻿

When you head outside, they have an outdoor bar area and patio section that faces the lake. They also have a section where you can rent bikes and row boats to take out on the lake.

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We decided to join the 150 year old tradition and rent a rowboat to explore the lake. It was so much fun!! It was $15 per hour which I thought was very reasonable. We did have to pay a $20 deposit that was returned to us when we left. It was CASH ONLY, so make sure you bring enough money for the amount of time you wish to rent the boat for. We found 1 hr was perfect.

They also have authentic Venetian gondola tours if you wanted to do that instead.

The Loeb Boathouse is the only Manhattan venue right on a lake which allows you to host your wedding, special occasion or event.

If you are visiting NYC and want to go to The Loeb Boathouse, it's located at E 72nd St. For more information or to book a reservation, visit their website HERE

Monday, 21 September 2015

I LOVE to curl my hair. I either curl it using a flat iron, or my curling iron to give it more volume and texture. I usually try to go for a more beachy look because I like it to look a little more natural. Over the years, I have tried so many different kinds of hair sprays. I was trying to find a product that wouldn't make my curls drop half way through the day, or make my hair feel rock hard. Finally, my search has come to an end because I am totally in love with L'Oreal Elnett Satin Hairspray.

I have been using L'Oreal Elnett Satin Hairspray (Extra Strong Hold) for about 3 months now. What I love most about this product is it doesn't even feel like I am wearing hairspray- it's super light weight. It's the only product that I have tried that holds my curls all day long, and sometimes even the day after. It also doesn't make my hair feel too heavy or stiff.

At times, I want to re-do sections of curls because it brushes out so easily, and I'll just curl it again or style it another way. I always have 2 sizes on hand. A full size for everyday, and a travel size for when I go away.

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L'Oreal Elnett Satin Hairspray is the best hairspray I've ever used- hands down! It is a bit pricey compared to others on the market, but I think it's totally worth it. For more information on this product visit their website HERE

Thursday, 17 September 2015

At the end of August we headed to Bonnie View Inn Resort in Haliburton for a weekend getaway as a family. This resort holds a special place in my heart. I used to come here as a kid with my parents and siblings, so it was pretty neat to head back with my own family and create some new memories.

Our drive wasn't long at all. It took us approx. 2 hours to get to the resort. Check in is at 3:00pm, but they allow you to come anytime after 1:00pm to use their amenities until your room is ready.

The resort has private chalets, Jacuzzi Suites and inns available for rent. All rooms can accommodate anywhere from 2 to 8 people. We booked a 1 bedroom, private chalet for our stay. It had a queen bed in the bedroom with a queen pullout in the living room. It also had a wood burning fireplace and a 4 piece bathroom. It was perfect for us.

Each room is equipped with a Flat Screen TV, DVD Player, Mini Fridge, Coffee Maker, Hair Dyer, Iron and Ironing Board. They also have hundreds of DVD movies to sign out and take back to your room. My son had so much fun picking out a movie each night to watch together in our room. They even have wireless Internet!!

In the Main Lodge there is a lobby, dining room and lounge. When booking, the rate for your room doesn't include food, so you have the option of buying a meal plan which we did. Cost was $45 per adult and $25 per child. At that rate, you receive a 3 course dinner meal and breakfast. I was so impressed with the food. It was soooo good and they give you a lot of options to choose from. Fountain drinks, tea and coffee is also included. All alcohol drinks were extra that you can charge to your room. They also have meals on the menu that weren't included in the meal plan. However, for a small extra charge you could still get it.

Only open from the end of June to early September is Daisy's Dockside Patio. We ate lunch here during our stay. It was very convenient and the food was great. We loved sitting by the water watching all the boats go by. The restaurant is also open to the public, and is the only direct waterside licensed patio restaurant in Haliburton.

Beside the restaurant, they have Scoops Kawartha Dairy Ice Cream Hut which is open daily during the summer. Everyday after lunch we went there for some ice cream- it was so good!

After our ice cream my husband and son fished off the docks and caught so many fish. They had so much fun.

So many amenities are included in your stay. They have a great sandy beach with beach toys for the kids. For water sports they have Canoes, Kayaks, Paddleboats and Barracuda Water Bikes. They also have a Water Trampoline with Catapult, Log Roll, Water Slide, and a Floating Otter Raft to swim too.

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They also have 2 playgrounds for kids, Badminton, Basketball, Horseshoes, Mountain Biking, Beach Volleyball and a Fitness Cabin. For those chilly nights, they also have a fire pit too. ﻿

During the winter months, they have On Site Cross Country Skis, Snowshoes, Ice Skates, Ice Fishing and Toboggans.﻿

From the end of June to the beginning of September they have Kids Club. Kids ages 2-10 can eat, play games, and do crafts together supervised, while you can enjoy some adult time. It runs nightly from 5:30-9pm.

As always I had a great time back at Bonnie View Inn, and my family loved it too! It brought back so many memories for me. We'll definitely be back!!

If you're looking for a small getaway with your family, I would look into coming here. It's a great family resort, and it's open all year around.

They also host weddings as well. If you are newly engaged and looking for a venue, they can accommodate anywhere from 5 to 200 people.

For more information on Bonnie View Inn Resort check out their website HERE